Half to s



(No Model.)

B. E. ETHRIDGE.

BUGKLE.

No. 557,787. Patented Apr. 7, 1896.

EllawortkEEHlr 1 61% a.

wvmwaea AN DREW BLRAHAM. wnm'u-umo WASHINGTON!) C NITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

ELIJSIVORTII ELMER ETHRIDGE, OF LANARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALFTO S. II. ETHRIDGE, OF SAME PLACE.

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 557,787, dated April 7,1896.

Application filed September '13, 1895 To (all whom it Wtay concern.-

Be it known that I, ELLswoRrH Emma ETHRIDGE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Lanark, in the county of Carroll and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Buckle, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to buckles, particularly to harness-buckles.

My object is to provide a buckle especially adapted to join thedriving-reins in a double harness, whereby the fly-net will not becomeentangled therewith and the lines or reins will not turn over, or, ifthey do turn over, they will readily right themselves; also, I provide abuckle that cannot be pulled through the guide-rin gs of theharness-saddle or backpad.

\Vith these and other objects in view my invention consists in the novelfeatures hereinafter set. forth by description and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section. Fig.4 is a detail view of the sliding tongue.

Reference-numeral 1 designates the back plate of the buckle, which isoblong and wider at the farther end than at the near end and is cut awayto secure lightness and yet leave suitable braces 2 for strength. Ateither end of back 1 and arranged parallel to each other are loops 3,which project vertically to receive the long driving-line 4. A centralvertical rib 5 extends the length of the back plate flush with the innerends of the loops 3. This rib 5 serves to strengthen the buckle andguide the driving-line l and also to hold the tongue 6, which restsloosely in a slot 7 cut through the bottom edge of rib 5 slightly beyondthe middle of the rib. Tongue (3 comprises a shank 8, approximately aswide as slot 7, and a tapering arm 0, curved toward the near loop andprovided with a vertical stud or finger 10 at its extremity to enter theadjusting holes in the long driving-line. N ear its forward end thetongue is notched on either side of shank 8, the forward notch 12 beingof such a shape that its shoulders will preven t the tongue from slidingback through Serial No. 562,367. (No model.)

the slot 7 by reason of a forward pull of the driving-line on the stud10. Arranged obliquely to the forward loop 3 a suitable opening 13 isformed through the back plate 1 on the opposite side of rib 5, so as toleave a straight obliquely-disposed bar 14 to hold the shortdriving-line 15.

In use the short line 15 is looped through the eye 13 around the bar 14and secured back 011 itself. The long line I is then threaded throughthe two loops 3 until it is brought to the proper position relatively toline 15. It is then raised up at its middle portion between the loops 3,and the stud 10 is inserted through one of its buckle-holes. The line isthen pulled down fiat and drawn back until notch 12 clicks intoengagement with the slot 7. In this position stud 10 rests lightlyagainst the near loop 3, so that a further back movement is impossible.Forward movement of the line is also impossible, because the notch 12abuts tightly against the farther wall of slot 7.

In order to readjust the long line 4, the shank 8 is adjusted until thenotch 16 thereof 7 5 engages the adjacent end of the slot 7, and thenotch 12 is disengaged from its end of the same slot. The line at is nowmoved forward, causing the shank 8 to slide through the slot 7 until thetongue or stud 10 reaches a point approximately midway between the loops3, when the line 4 may be disengaged from the tongue or stud andreadjusted to the desired hole. Thisbuckle presents no tongue-point orother prongs to catch into and tear a flynet, but is smooth and compact,leaving only the two loop-straps above the reins. It is also of suchshape that it will not pass through the line-rings on the back-saddle,and if turned over it will at once right itself by the 0 central pull ofthe long line on the rear loop.

Changes in the form, proportions, and the minor details of constrsctionmay be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificingany of the advantages of this invention.

What I claim is- 1. A buckle comprising a backplate, provided with astrap-loop at either end and a tongue-slot at one side, and a curvedtongue 10o and a notched shank at its other end, snb- IO stantia1ly asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my omi I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ELLSWORTH ELMER ETHRIDGE.

Vitnesses:

M. S. WEANY, SAM. H. ETHRIDGE.

loose in said slot and provided with a stud at one end and a notchedshank at its other end, substantially as described.

2. A buckle comprising a back plate, provided with a strap-loop ateither end, a third strap-loop or securing-bar adjacent to one of saidend loops, a tongue-slot intermediate of said end loops, and a curvedtongue loose in said slot and provided with a stud at one end

